Is it illegal to watch movies online?

el_gringo_3

there seems to be a general consensus that the Music Industry as a whole is against illegal copying - this is far from true.

Most of the smaller dance music labels (for example) LOVE having their releases streamed or downloaded on mp3, as do the acts themselves, simply because these copies are of a low sound quality and sound as such over a decent sound system. Hence many people will download several tracks, and then pick their favourites to purchase on vinyl, CD or in a DRM high quality file.

The companies which are kicking up a fuss tend to be the larger record labels and the ditributors, as they are worried their kind will soon be extent. I agree - the advent of bands producing and promoting themselves via the web has started to rule the roost in rock music, and the popularity and numbers of shows such as X factor, Pop Idol and the like means there is no need to go out and scout for talent/ spend months and thousands on formulating and selling the next boyband...

tomjohn

I think not all the websites where movies can be watched online are illegal,there are some legal ones.Probably less than the illegal ones, but nonetheless, there's an option available.

aliEnRIK

Its not the websites but the content that defines whether or not its illegal

For example, its legal to watch and download the old black and white classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD anywhere you find it as its no longer copyrighted (Unless thats changed recently)

tomjohn

Yeah, that's what I mean to say,that there are also websites that offer content legally, fortunately for us, the users.I guess probably there are also a lot of other movies like the one you mentioned..

polisny

When you stream you are not downloading 'the' movie. Your computer is not 'downloading' Yahoo or Facebook when you log on to these sites but information necessary for these sites to run if you want to view them at all. Your computer downloads bits and pieces of various sites and stores those bits and pieces of information in different files on your computer, often in an information type (called a language) that is TOTALLY useless to you, which as information is not the same thing as Facebook or Yahoo being copied on to your computer and used at your leisure as though they were your own, or as though you could now start reproducing them or making money off of them.

With streaming, your computer can temporarily play the movie once it has been streamed (if you do not navigate away from the page) because of the way your computer remembers. The streaming function of movies is not meant to be permanently installed into your computer, like programs, but only temporarily. So, yes, bits and pieces of the movie are recorded on to your hard drive, but not the watcheable copy of the movie that can be accessed at any time. This goes to say, of course, that streaming and downloading are different. It is not because your computer records in a certain language information that comes from the video that it recorded the video.

According to the motion picture association it is only piracy if they are being downloaded. They do not mention streaming. (Samantha S., Italian Lawyers Online, An award winning Italian Law Firm providing legal advice in English, taken from Cha. Cha. com)

Fltron

There is a big difference between downloading and streaming. Downloading is illegal for the uploader and downloader. Streaming is not making a copy, which some suggest. Streaming is deemed to not be storing a copy as the frames that are being constantly downloaded are replaced faster than it is possible to make a copy. The onus is on the person who has put the film up to stream rather than the person watching; the person uploading to stream knows for certain they do not have the right to show the film. The person watching does not have to investigate the credentials of who is showing the film. Do you check this when going to the cinema? Of course not. You just assume they have the appropriate approval. If a cinema did not have the right to show a film but you wasn't and watched it, you cannot be held responsible for the cinemas failings. Same applies online.

johnnyboyrebel

cyberbob wrote: »

You are also supporting the criminal act of piracy and helping to support it

Sorry but this is slightly over the top. Things are leaked online, if someone watches it are you suggesting they are responsible for that movie being leaked online?

An illegal uploader has no interest in how many people watch that video, in fact I can't see any reason why people would upload movies etc. anyway but the point is the uploader is the one to get into trouble. If anything, the responsibility is the website that has allowed it to be uploaded in the first place. Can people be blamed if there are illegally uploaded movies everywhere they look? Who makes it so easy for these type of things to be easily found? Google. So who should really be getting targeted?

23n1th

Nothing like digging up old threads.

johnnyboyrebel

23n1th wrote: »

Nothing like digging up old threads.

Blame Fltron, I just saw the post so replied to it. I don't do silly things like look at dates To be fair, it is still a valid topic so who cares?

wazza

If the topic is still valid then who cares when the topic was created? I don't. I started this thread :-)